Drying apparatus



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Drying Apparatus.

No. 242,121. Patented May 31,1881.

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No. 242,121. v Pat nted May 31, 1881.

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# W @XWWfimm UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JOHN W. EVANS, or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DRYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,121, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed March 15, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be itknown that I, JOHN W. EVANS, of Cleveland, in the county of ()nyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Im- 'provements in Drying Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and useit, reference being had to the accompan yin gdrawin gs, wh ich form part of this specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for drying grain or meal, and although my useot' said device is for the purpose of drying linseed-meal, it is equally adapted for use in any kind of grain, orin dryingother substances than grain; and said invention consists in the mechanism hereinafter specified.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents my invention, in side elevation, without ajacket or casin g. Fig. 2 is a plan View, representing one of my drying-tables provided with agitators that operate to discharge the meal from the outer edge or periphery of the table. Fig. 3 is a view,in vertical cross-section, of the device shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is a view of one of the. drying-tables of my apparatus provided with agitators for discharging through a central opening or aperture; and Fig. 5 is a view, in vertical cross-section, of the device shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is .a view, in side elevation, showing one manner of snpportin g the dryingtables of my apparatus. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 6. Fig. Sis a detached view showing, in detail, one of the short scrapers and agitators for use upon the smaller tables. Fig. 9 is a detached view showing, in detail, one of the longer scrapers for use upon the larger tables. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the scraper shown in Fig. 9. Figs.

11 and 12 are different side views of the forked holder of the scrapers.

provided with a sufficient number of sockets, E, for holding the arms B. A set-screw, or any equivalent locking device, is provided for rigidly adjusting the sleeve E at any desired place upon the shaft A.

F and F are stationary drying-tables, constructed preferably from boiler-iron or metal plates, although, if desired, they may be made of cast-iron. These tables are hollow or chambered, and constructed for the admission of steam through suitable pipes, F and these pipes may or may not be the supports of the tables F F.

The drawings illustrate a frame, G, provided with long and short brackets G, for sustaining respectively the smaller and larger tables F F. If deemed advisable, the frame G can be made metallic, and serve to conduct steam by suitable connections into the chambers of the tables; or steam-pipes F as already described, may be employed independently of the supporting-frame G.

Each drying-table is provided with a central opening, in which freely revolves the main shaft A. The larger tables F, however, will be observed to have a large central opening, and it is through this opening that the meal or other matter is discharged by the scrapers upon the smaller table F beneath. With each of the smaller tables is provided a hood or deflector, H, attached to the main shaft. These hoods or deflectors serve to prevent any of the material coming from the table above from falling too close to the shaft A.

K K are carriers for the scrapers C D. These carriers are forked, as represented in the drawings, and are attached to the arms B and straddle the scrapers. Above the forked portion of the carrier is an extended shank, K, and above the shank a nut and screw-thread. The shank K passes loosely through vertical openings made in the arms B, so that each carrier is permitted a free and easy movement up and down through its arm B. This is for the purpose of permitting a similar movement to the scrapers, in order that they may accommodate themselves to anyinequalities of the surface over which they travel, thus always enabling them to effect a good contact with the surface over which they move. To supplement this automatic adjustability of the scrapers ICO a vertical slot, K is made in each scraper, through which passes a pin, K that is rivetheaded or bolted upon each side of the forked portion of the carrier K. This will permit the scraper itself to have a limited vertical movement between the forks of its carrier, thus insuring its contact at all times with the table over which it moves.

The longer scrapers D are preferably made slightly curved, as this form operates with better effect to discharge thecontents of the table in a direction from its periphery to the central opening.

L are adjusting and equalizing bars connecting the outer portions of the scrapers, as sufficiently indicated in the drawings. These bars serve to preserve a uniform and equal distance between the scrapers, and also serve as a means of adjusting their inclination. This adjustment should be made so that the track of each scraper will at least slightly overlap the track of its fellows, in order to catch the meal and properly discharge it.

The adjustment of the inclination of the scrapers is effected as follows: The brace L has a slot and set-screw connection with the sleeve E, and by this means the equalizingbar L can be drawn in or pushed out, and the blades or scrapers thus be made to assume any desired position.

L is a longitudinal slot formed in the outer portion of each scraper, through which passes the equalizing-bar L, the slot permitting a suffieient latitude of motion to allow the bar L to pass through at any incline to which the blades may be adjusted.

The equalizing-bar L may consist of a continuous rod passing through the slots L and sleeves of gas-pipe placed between each scraper; or instead of this construction, a continuous rod, as already mentioned, may be used, and adjustable rings and set-screws upon each side of each scraper may be employed, the only object being to construct the equalizing-bar in such a manner as to preserve a uniform and equal distance between the outer ends of the scraper-blades, and at the same time efi'ect their adjustment, as specified.

Upon the outer edge of the large tables I a rim or wall, F, may be provided to prevent any possible escape over the edge of said tables of material discharged from the smaller tables above.

The operation of my device is as follows: Revolution is imparted to the main shaft A, arms 13, and scrapers, and the meal, grain, or whatever is to be dried is received through any suitable chute or delivery upon the upper table, F. This table, like all the other tables,

is heated by the constant passage of steam through its interior by means of the steam- As the scrapers G revolve they oppipes F crate at the same time to agitate the material upon the table, and to discharge the same from the periphery of said table down upon the out-er portion of the larger table F beneath. Here the material is received by scrapcrs that agitate and direct it inward toward the central opening, through which it is discharged to the small table F beneath, where the scrapers agitate and discharge it outward down to the outer portions of the large table F, and so on, the meal, or whatever material is being dried, being constantly agitated, and alternately moved in and out over the tables F F, until finally discharged at the bottom table into any suitable conveyer or receptacle.

The exact number of drying-tables is amatter to which my invention is not confined, the number depending upon the amount of dry ing exposure which is desired to be had, and with difl'erent materials the number of dryingtables or their area, or the rapidity of revolution of the scrapers, or the number of scrapers, will vary, according as circumstances may dictate.

The number of scrapers upon the arms B may be greater or less, as desired; but each scraper should be so adjusted as to slightly overlap the track of a neighboring scraper, so that the meal shall be successively acted upon by them, and thus be directed inward or out ward, as the case may be.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a drying apparatus, the combination, with the arm B and series of scrapers connected therewith, of an equalizing-bar, L, extending through said scrapers, a brace, L, provided with an elongated slot, and' a setscrew for securing the brace to the sleeve E in any desired adjustment, substantially as set forth.

2. In a drying apparatus, the combination, with revolvingarms,of series of scrapers, each scraper provided with a vertically-elongated slot, and carriers K K, attached to the scrapers at their lower ends by a pin or rivet extending through the elongated slot in the scraper, the upper ends of said carriers adapted to have a free vertical movement in the revolvin g arm, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of the carriers K K and a moving arm, B, the two being connected in such a manner that the shank of the carrier shall have a free vertical movement within said arm, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN W. EVANS.

Witnesses:

L. L. LEGGETT, W. I). DONNELLY. 

